In the art relating to automotive vehicles, and particularly to automobile-type vehicles, energy absorption is generally provided by structural members of the frame or body designed to absorb collision energy to reduce the deceleration rate of an associated passenger compartment in a collision. In most such vehicles, the engine hood provides little, if any, of the energy-absorbing structure. Hoods are generally formed of stamped sheet metal with vibration and sound-absorbing stiffeners and are attached only at the front and rear ends of the hood. Thus, the hood structure generally bends in a front collision without significant energy absorption being provided to the body structure. It is considered that the provision of an energy-absorbing hood structure for the front or rear end equipment compartment of a vehicle would have benefits in increasing energy absorption or allowing the design of other structural components of the body to better accomplish goals of structural integrity and weight reduction.